Background: Despite the increased prevalence of dementia in India, there is reported to be little awareness of the disease. This could lead to a late diagnosis, a reduced number of choices regarding future care, and misinterpretation of the symptoms or neglect. Taking into consideration that most nurses caring for older people in the future will work with people with dementia, there is concern that they may not be able to meet the needs of this group of patients unless they have the necessary knowledge and a positive attitude. Aim: To explore the knowledge about and attitude towards dementia among nursing staff working in residential care facilities for older people in India. Method: An explorative and descriptive qualitative design was used. Two semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with nursing staff working in 6 nursing homes in India. Qualitative content analysis was used. Ethical approval was granted by the Norwegian Social Science Data Services. Findings: The participants highlighted the following 3 dimensions in relation to their knowledge of and attitudes toward dementia in residential care facilities in India: (1) people with dementia – a walking mystery; (2) we need to go along with them, but it is challenging; and (3) if we know, we can care for them in a better way. Conclusion: The findings revealed a wide range of differences in attitude towards and inadequate knowledge of dementia among nursing staff. However, their overall attitudes toward people with dementia was positive.
Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord Extra 2021;11:29–37

中文翻译：

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印度疗养院护理人员对痴呆症的知识和态度：定性访谈研究

背景：尽管印度痴呆症的患病率有所增加，但据报道对该病知之甚少。这可能会导致诊断延迟、对未来护理的选择减少以及对症状的误解或忽视。考虑到未来大多数照顾老年人的护士将与痴呆症患者一起工作，除非他们具备必要的知识和积极的态度，否则他们可能无法满足这组患者的需求。目的：探讨印度养老院护理人员对痴呆症的认识和态度。方法：使用了探索性和描述性的定性设计。对在印度 6 家疗养院工作的护理人员进行了两次半结构化的焦点小组访谈。使用了定性内容分析。挪威社会科学数据服务机构授予了伦理批准。结果：参与者强调了与他们对印度养老机构中痴呆症的知识和态度相关的以下三个方面：（1）痴呆症患者——一个行走的谜团；（2）我们需要和他们一起去，但这是具有挑战性的；(3) 如果我们知道，我们可以更好地照顾他们。结论：调查结果揭示了护理人员对痴呆症的态度和知识不足的广泛差异。然而，他们对痴呆症患者的总体态度是积极的。
Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord Extra 2021；11:29–37